Therapy and infra-red-ray lamp



Sept. 11, 1928.

H. S. AKERS THERAPY AND INFRA-RED RAY LAMP Filed June 26, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

- UNITED STA HERBERT SHERWOOD AKERS, OF MONTVALE, SCHEERER CORPORATIONOF AMERICA,

NEW YORK.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE KNY- OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFTHERAIY AND INFRA-RED-RAY LAMP.

Application filed. June 26,

This invention relates to a therapy and infra-red ray lamp and thenovelty consists in the adaptation and arrangement of parts as will bemore fully hereinafter pointed out.

Light and heat have both been used for therapeutic purposes withincreasing success during the past few years so that a more exactpractice has been gradually evolved demanding more perfect apparatus.Many combinations of light and heat have been developed but these areadapted primarily for surface treatment and are not adapted to penetratedeeply for treatment of deep seated physical troubles. Where it isattempted to so use them it is necessary to make a long exposure fordeep penetration and the short heat waves impinge on the skin or surfacetissue and are often very irritating because of the long exposure whichis necessary in order to secure depth of penetration.

My device is adapted to solve this difliculty and does so in athoroughly eflicient manner being equipped only with heat elements whichthrow off at a substantially low temperature long heat waves which areinfrared rays and which are readily absorbed by the tissue to the depthsrequired without causing any irritation.

The use of infra-red rays produces a very definite and prompt hyperemiato the parts exposed and such cases as neuritis, myositis, muscularrheumatism, neuralgia, lumbago and sciatica have been treated with goodresults.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of my completedevice, a portion being broken away to show the internal construction ofthe stand; Figure 2 is a plan view of the interior of the lamp; Figure 3is a circuit showing the heating elements connected up in parallel;Figure 4 is a vertical section of the lamp as shown in Figure 1; Figure5 is a detail of the joint and locking means for the lamp; Figure 6 is adetail of one of the heating elements.

In the drawings 10 is a stand having a base 11 mounted on the usualcastors 12. A collar 13 is mounted over the stand 10 so as to slide upand down readily thereon and has a set screw and handle 14 of usualconstruction adapted to lock said collar 13 in any desired position onsaid stand 10. A horizontal arm 15 is rigidly mounted in said collar 13and which terminates at its outer end in a circular hinged member 16 anda split hinged 1926. Serial No 118,682.

member 17 is pivoted on said hinged member 16 by means of the usual boltand nut 18 and an arcuate slot 19 is cut in the circular hinged member16 and a third bolt member 20 is rigidly secured in the split hingedmember 17 by means of a screw 21 against rotation and said bolt 20 has athreaded portion 22 on which is mounted a flexible washer member 23, aspacer 24 and an outer handle member 25 which is adapted to engage thethreaded portion 22 of bolt 20 at 26.

The outer portion of the split hinged member 17 is rigidly connected toa shaft 27 which has at its outer end a pair of clamping members 28secured together by means of screws 29 in the usual manner adapted toreceive and secure rigidly in position the outer shell 30 of the lampwhich has ventilating elements 31 at suitable intervals and the inner ordeflecting portion 32 of said lamp is secured to the outer shell 30 bymeans of fasteners This construction of the hinges 16 and 17 permits thelamp to be swung up and down as the handle 25-is loosened on thethreaded portion 22 of the bolt 20 thereby releasing the spacer 24 andwasher 23 so that the split hinged member 17 may move freely up and downon the pivot 18 on the hinged member 16, the bolt 20 passing freelythrough the are 19.

The lamp is also connected through wires 34 to a source of power notshown, passing through insulator connector 35 to the space 36 betweenthe inner and outer shells 32 and 30 being connected up in parallel tothe sockets 37 as shown in the diagrammatic circuit in Figure 3. Heatingelements 38 are mounted in the sockets 37 by means of the usual threadedconnector 39 and these heating elements 38 are of usual and well knownconstruction and the circuits through these elements are shown by theseries of pointers in Figure 6 and these heating elements 38 are mountedin a horizontal position as indicated in Figure 4 instead of in theusual vertical position. The heating elements 38 are also of suchconstruction as to be adapted to give off long heat waves at atemperature around 900 to 1000 F. being of such construction that theywill not readily break nor give off heated particles. For purposes ofsafety a screen 40 is mounted in the open front of said plant to catchany particles which through accident or any imperfection might possiblyfall from the heating elements 38. The inner shell 32 of the lamp has apyramidal sha ed deflecting element 41 which catches the eat waves cominfrom the heating elements 38 and throws them in the direction indicatedby the two arrows upwardly from the lamp so as to prevent any pocketlngof the heat at this point which would otherwise occur and insuring acontinuous movement of the long heat waves travellingfrom the heatingelements 38. The space 36 between the inner shell 32 and outer shell 30also insure the coolness and continuous low temperature of the outershell 30 of the lamp no matter for how long a period the lamp may he incontinuous use. The lamp also has a handle 42 rigidly secured to theouter shell 30 for convenience in handling the same. The even spacing ofthe elements 38 combined with the deflecting element 41 insures an evendistribution of the heat at all times.

A cord 43 is secured-to the collar 13 and passes over a pulley 44rigidly secured to the head of the stand 10 and a counter weight 45 ofusual construction is attached to the other end of the cord 43 wherebythe collar 13 and the arm 15 and lamp carried thereon are held in acounter balanced position on the stand- 10 the weight 45 travelling upand down inside of said stand 10 in the usual manner.

It is obvious that many variations may be made in the particular detailsof construction of this device without departing from the spirit andintent of the invention.

I claim: I

1. In an infra-red ray lamp the combination of electrical heat elementsmaintaining a low temperature, a pyramidal deflecting means and anarcuated reflector adapted to dilfuse the largest possible amount oflong heat waves in a uniform manner.

2. In an electrical lamp the combination of low temperature heatingelements mounted a central pyramidal element and an arcuate reflectoradapted to diffuse the largest possible amount of long heat waves andmeans for securing said lampin any desired position in a vertical planeand a horizontal lane.

4. In an electrical-lamp the com ination of low temperature heatingelements mounted horizontally in a two spaced shell reflector and apyramidal deflecting element on the middle of the inside of said innerelement and means for securing said lamp in any desired position.

5. In an infra-red ray lamp the combination of electrical heat elementsmaintaining a low temperature, a deflecting means having a centralpyramidal element adapted to diffuse the largest possible amount of longheat waves all mounted on a movable stand, means for turning said lampto any desired position and means for looking it in said positioncomprising a set screw on the stand and a compression locking memberhaving a flexible washer on the arm supporting the lamp.

6. In an electrical lamp the combination of low temperature heatingelements mounted horizontally in a two spaced shell reflector on amovable stand, a pyramidal deflecting element on the middle of theinside of said inner element, means for turning said lamp to any desiredposition, means for looking it in said position comprising a set screwonthe stand and a compression locking member having a flexible washermounted in an arc on the arm supporting the lamp.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HERBERT SHERWOOD AKERS.

